Family Planet Tour
    Day 213: Pamukkale - Antalya

    Day 213: Pamukkale - Antalya

    Nov 2 - Up early and load up on the free breakfast chow. Odette gets a last half hour playtime with the tiny black resident kitten, and we are off to the dolmuş stop for the 30 minute ride to Denizli.

    These bus terminals are so easy the second time around. Our bus line this time is well outfitted with plugs and wifi, and a snack cart that passes down the aisle. The scenery is wooded mountains just about the entire four hour ride.

    Some nice rock exposures on the way, almost certainly limestones.
    Some nice rock exposures on the way, almost certainly limestones.

    The Antalya otogar is well to the north of the town center, in, once again, a huge complex. Unlike Izmir, here the public transport options into town are easy to figure out. There is a bus stop right next to the door, and a metro line can be seen on the main street. We catch bus #94 to the downtown center, a few minutes walk from our hotel.

    Today’s route: (A) Pamukkale, (B) Denizli, (C) Antalya.
    Today’s route: (A) Pamukkale, (B) Denizli, (C) Antalya.

    The part of Antalya we are in is the ‘old town’, which doesn’t look much different, but is dotted with older, historically significant structures.

    Antalya is the largest Turkish city that borders the Mediterranean, and the fifth largest overall in Türkiye. Its early (known) history is similar to Pamukkale, being settled by the Attalid Dynasty of Pergamon, then taken over by the Romans. But besides Hadrian’s Gate, most of the older buildings left relate to the Seljuk Dynasty.

    A scene across part of old town, with the fluted minaret of Yivliminare Mosque.
    A scene across part of old town, with the fluted minaret of Yivliminare Mosque.
    An old gate entrance, now outside the Mevlevihane Museum.
    An old gate entrance, now outside the Mevlevihane Museum.
    A closeup of the minaret. It is Seljuk style, with a few lonely tiled bits left.
    A closeup of the minaret. It is Seljuk style, with a few lonely tiled bits left.
    Inside the mosque, It was originally build in 1230.
    Inside the mosque, It was originally build in 1230.
    The closest beach to downtown, which is really just lounge chairs in the water since there is such a thin shoreline.
    The closest beach to downtown, which is really just lounge chairs in the water since there is such a thin shoreline.
    There are tourists around, but a fraction of what we would have seen a month or two ago. Actually kind of quiet for a place that is one of the Med hotspots.
    There are tourists around, but a fraction of what we would have seen a month or two ago. Actually kind of quiet for a place that is one of the Med hotspots.
    These 44 steps are from Byzantine times, when both the Byzantines and Seljuk Turks went back and forth over dominance of the city.
    These 44 steps are from Byzantine times, when both the Byzantines and Seljuk Turks went back and forth over dominance of the city.
    Türkiye III
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